Comments on: MTN, Bharti: national treasury reacts http://www.techcentral.co.za/mtn-bharti-national-treasury-reacts/10290/ South Africa's quality technology news source Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:39:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Arthur Charles Van Wyk http://www.techcentral.co.za/mtn-bharti-national-treasury-reacts/10290/comment-page-1/#comment-291 Arthur Charles Van Wyk Thu, 01 Oct 2009 06:08:08 +0000 http://www.techcentral.co.za/?p=10290#comment-291 It is understandable that companies have to grow, however MTN is a something of a national icon.. a company started by South Africans and run by South Africans, with the exception of the very brief tenure of Bob Chaphe of course. As a former insider and contributor to innovation (I developed phase one of the company's internal portal Yelloworld - in 2001) MTN has always been at the forefront of innovation. So why can't the company grow through innovation? I can see at least 10 things the company could do without leaving the mobile tech space - on a humungous scale - that would keep it profitable and facilitate continue growth. Perhaps Phuthuma - as brilliant as he is - should take a Board position and allow some fresh thinking to come in at executive management level. That way MTN can still grow, and at the same time remain firmly in South African control. All these media reports about our national gems being gobbled up by foreign powers (regardless of what THEY term it) is rather sickening. The merger break-off is good news for me. How was I going to proudly tell my kids that I once worked for a South African company that is now owned and run by Sunil Mittal. I'd much rather they struggle with pronouncing Phuthuma Nhleko. It is understandable that companies have to grow, however MTN is a something of a national icon.. a company started by South Africans and run by South Africans, with the exception of the very brief tenure of Bob Chaphe of course.

As a former insider and contributor to innovation (I developed phase one of the company’s internal portal Yelloworld – in 2001) MTN has always been at the forefront of innovation. So why can’t the company grow through innovation?

I can see at least 10 things the company could do without leaving the mobile tech space – on a humungous scale – that would keep it profitable and facilitate continue growth.

Perhaps Phuthuma – as brilliant as he is – should take a Board position and allow some fresh thinking to come in at executive management level. That way MTN can still grow, and at the same time remain firmly in South African control.

All these media reports about our national gems being gobbled up by foreign powers (regardless of what THEY term it) is rather sickening.

The merger break-off is good news for me. How was I going to proudly tell my kids that I once worked for a South African company that is now owned and run by Sunil Mittal. I’d much rather they struggle with pronouncing Phuthuma Nhleko.

]]>